Jericho hurls a fireball at him, but misses. Rip leaps to the left, roaring. He snags a wolf mid-leap and throws it to the ground.
“Where’s Tobias?” he shouts.
A ripple of anger burns through me hotter than anything I’ve ever known. This man is responsible for everything that has happened to Tobias. For manipulating him into a deal, chaining him to a stage, and burning a dangerous mark into his arm. Every painful moment Tobias has endured has been because of him.
It’s time he pays.
My claws cut into the cold earth as I lunge, putting all my strength behind it. He staggers forward under my weight, toppling to his knees. He swings low, scraping my flank. I bite into his shoulder, tearing muscle away.
The sound that escapes him is anything but human—warped and wrong, like it came straight from hell.
He spins under me, clawing into my side with long, dark nails. His strength is monstrous, but I bite again and again. He grabs a handful of fur, yanking hard enough to tear it from my skin. I gnash my teeth, snapping at his face. He drives a knee into my ribs.
The blow is devastating. I wheeze and claw at him, drawing blood.
Rip’s eyes darken with hate before he laughs, a sick unearthly sound that makes my hackles rise. “I’m going to guess you’re the mate.”
He throws me off, but I twist midair and land low, tail bristling. Blood mats my fur, and my side throbs where he punched me. We circle each other, fangs bared. When he lunges, I meet him halfway.
We crash together in a violent fury, claws and teeth tangling. Two wolves scatter out of the way as we roll, dirt and ash flying up around us. I tear more flesh away, earning a piercing cry from Rip. He punches again; I bite his arm. He elbows my ribs; I rake his back. Every hit is backed with impossible force, stealing a little more air from my lungs.
He’s stronger. Faster. And moons above, I think he’s enjoying this.
He lands another blow to my side that sends stars bursting behind my eyes. I stagger, and he seizes the moment, stepping behind me and wrapping his arms around my ribs. My chest caves under the pressure, the air exploding from my lungs.
With little effort, he hauls me upright, my back to his chest. I thrash, but his grip only tightens. Pain explodes everywhere.
Rowen!Ivy screams.
A fireball lands at our feet, but Rip easily sidesteps it. His teeth sink into my shoulder, tearing a piece of it away.
“You actually thought you could defeat me?” he sneers.
I snarl, but it comes out strangled.
Another squeeze—another rib snaps. The sound is sharp, wet, and final.
My vision goes white, and everything fades except the sound of his breath on my ear. “You never should’ve touched him, pup.”
As the third rib cracks, I let out a terrible cry, pain lancing down my spine.
“Where is he?” Rip says. “Tell me, and this ends now.”
40
TOBIAS
My thoughts are scattered as I leap from one person to the next, logic and reason unable to take root. Every movement is foreign; every leap is pure instinct.
I attack anyone who moves, teeth gnashing at anything they can reach. Sounds pour from my mouth that I never knew a fox could make. I sink my teeth into the next enemy, scraping bone. Before they can react, I move on to the next. Anyone and everyone is the enemy.
“Tobias, stop!” someone shouts, but it only urges me forward.
Can’t stop. Won’t stop.
Must. Save. My. Family.
Fire erupts in a tree nearby, embers swirling into the sky.
